Lane dumps most rain in Hawaii since 1950, most in U.S. since Harvey

By

UPI Staff

An old service station sits in the middle of a lake of floodwater in Hilo, Hawaii, Friday. Torrential rains from Hurricane Lane inundated the eastern half of the island of Hawaii, causing disruptions for residents and visitors. Photo by Bruce Omori/EPA-EFE

Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Hurricane Lane left east Hawaii with more than 4 feet of rain -- the third largest amount from a tropical cyclone in the United States since 1950, forecasters said.

The total rainfall dumped on Mountain View in east Hawaii through early Sunday was 51.5 inches, the National Weather Service's preliminary total shows.

The highest total is 60.58 inches, measured at Nederland, Texas, from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the NWS said. The second highest from a tropical cyclone was 52 inches during Hurricane Hiki in 1950.

Some parts of Hawaii's Big Island have already received more than 40 inches of rain.

Tropical Storm Lane had weakened into a tropical depression Sunday as it moved west away from the islands, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said.

The center of Lane is now located about 430 miles southwest of Lihue, Hawaii, the CPHC said Monday.
Lane is expected to accelerate northwestward by Tuesday as it transitions to an extratropical low, the CPHC said.

The Weather Service canceled all flash flood watches and area flood advisories Sunday as Lane moved southwest of the state though showers may still be expected through Tuesday.

Despite the rainfall totals, Honolulu's Mayor Kirk Caldwell said the situation could have been much worse.

"We dodged a bullet," Caldwell said in a Hawaii News Now report. "Mother Nature is unpredictable and this event brought us all together like never before."

President Donald Trump declared an emergency for Hawaii on Thursday and ordered federal assistance. The order authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts, if needed.

As Lane clears out, Florida issued advisories on Tropical Storm Miriam, located about 1715 miles
east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii. Miriam is forecast to move into the Central Pacific Hurricane Center area of responsibility Wednesday.